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"And Miss Flowers said that she has a surprise for us when we come back to school after spring break."

"That's great sweetie." I smiled.

"You did amazing up there too, Yuri. The both of you stole the show." I added.

"I did?"

"Yes. Your uncle was cheering like a crazy person for you. I'm sure you heard him."

"Hehe. I saw." Yuri placed her hand over her mouth giggling. "Did you send my mommy and daddy the video Uncle C?" her eyes adverted to Cato who cleared his throat and stopped mixing his ice cream.

"Yeah. You're mama got it and your daddy must still be working. He'll see it in a little bit though."

"Cato why'd you leave me?" Oh my God Justyce shut up baby!

"What you mean?" he looked at me and I shrugged.

"You used to stay with us. Why you go?"

"Justyce eat your ice cream and stop asking all those questions." I pointed at her, cutting this conversation short.

"She cool." Cato stopped me from scolding her. I looked at him with cursing eyes. He looked back at me with the same look. "Your mama and I broke up a long time ago so when people break up they live in separate houses, but that doesn't excuse me for leaving you. I still love you though, just from a distance."

"You love my mommy?"

"I sure do."

"But Uncle C I thought you love Auntie Lexie?"

"That's not your auntie stop saying that." I sniggered. He poked her bottom lip in and she continued her ice cream eating.

"Daddy's ain't supposed to leave. That's what Yuri said." Yuri nodded, agreeing. "But I forgot I don't have a daddy." I could see a look of guilt in his eyes and judging by him not being able to respond I stand correct.

"Hey look, crayons. Color the picture so I can hang it on the fridge." I pushed the box of crayons in between the two girls.

"Yes! Okay mommy." Before we knew it they were having a coloring contest.

Cato came back from the bathroom and sat next to me in the booth so I decided to scoot over to put more space in between us, but he only scooted closer until I was up against the wall. I sipped on my oreo milkshake pretending not to see him staring at the side of my face shamelessly. He was burning a hole through my face.

"Can you stop?"

"No." He cheesed that stupid annoying beautiful smile. Those pearly white perfect teeth could melt any girl's heart.

"Oh my gosh," I smiled unintentionally.

"What?"

"You got your braces removed."

"Yeah so what? You miss your man with the wires?"

"No."

"You miss the brace face." He said as a matter of factly.

"No I miss the cute face my nigga." I fired at him.

"You wish. I have always been handsome, you feel me. Never been a bum ass nigga." he rubbed his goatee and rub down on his shirt. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself Catora. I'm just used to seeing you with your blue braces, that's all."

"It don't gotta be that way anymore you know," I felt a hand on my thigh. I let in a sharp inhalation covering it with a fake cough. I could practically hear him smirking next to me because I dared not to look at the man who had me damn near about to have a pool in the middle of my pants and it was making me mad. I shouldn't be feeling this way and I don't want to. I am in a happily brand new relationship.

"Good?"

"Yes I am. I am fine. More than fine actually I just need you to, yeah ." I pushed his hand off of my thigh and cleared my throat looking around the room. Okay.

I felt a vibration on the table and picked up my phone and it was a text from Sylvester. I don't know why I felt a rush of guilt when I saw his name because I didn't do anything. That's because he is making me feel this way!

I started to look at the text before tilting my phone.

"Dang do you mind?" I leaned away from a nosy Catora with big brown doe eyes roaming all over my phone screen. He sucked his teeth before looking away and pulling out his own phone.

Where are you? I'm at your house.

We're just now leaving the ice cream parlor. Omw

"Justyce say goodbye to your friend, it's time to head home."

"Awe mommy. Okay fine. Bye Yuri. My mommy said it's time to go. She doesn't like being out when it's dark." She attempted to whisper the last sentence. Little girl..

"Well your mommy shouldn't be because I'll be there to protect all of y'all. Ain't that right Jayda?"

"Sure." He acts like he's The Godfather of the streets or something. That mindset is what damn near got us both killed two years ago.

We were buckling the two into the car seats at the same time on the street.

"Oh I forgot to give this to her. A gift." He held out a floral arrangement of red roses in the shape of a bear.

"Oh that's sweet," I opened the door for him to hand it to her.

"Thank you dadd-I mean Cato. I love it." She stretches her body upwards to hug him tightly. I just stood and smiled. I watched Yuri inside Catos car bobbing her head to her dad's music in the backseat. Looking closer inside I saw two men in all black making them barely noticeable.

"C-Cato, who are those men in the car with Yuri?" I asked scared and concerned. He turned around squinting inside the car before sucking his teeth and waving me off.

"My bodyguards don't scare me like that."

"Bodyguards? For what, who are you, King Tut?"

"Ha. Jokes on you, I'm the king of my own kind of investment." He chuckled, rubbing his neck. I eyed him carefully because last I remember that was a sign of him lying. Just a liar.

"What kind of job pays you enough to pay them?" he looked away from me shrugging. "You still selling?"

"Man what's up with all the federal questions? Just know I'm set for life."

"Goodnight Cato." I ended the conversation.

"Goodnight Jayda. Y'all be safe."

Twenty minutes later I arrived at home pulling into my driveway. I see he learns well. I had to tell Sylvester about parking in my driveway because he'd either block me in or I'd have to come out and let him out.

"I almost left and went home." Sylvester stood up from the steps. I rolled my eyes because he knows damn well he wasn't leaving and going all the way home at this time of night. "Hey JuJu."

"It's Justyce Silva." she stomped her foot. She always tells him that, it's pretty comical.

"Oh my bad sorry. Justyce. Your mom tells me you had a solo and you were the eye of the performance."

"Yeah a-a-and the people threw flowers at us a-and they clapped. It was sooo pretty!" She stuttered enthusiastically, running out of breath. "It was soooo fun."

"I bet it was. I would've come to watch, but my boss made me stay at work otherwise I'd be fired from my job." I looked at him with a serious face.

"Awe man. Maybe next time Silva." she made that white person's face before pushing the door open and walking in throwing down her bag.

"You ate already?"

"Yeah we ate a lot of ice cream so I'll be skipping dinner for tonight."

"Hey what was that supposed to mean back there? About me not inviting you otherwise you'd be fired."

"I was just joking, Jay don't take it to heart."

"Well I am because I don't play with my child. Justyce is very smart for her age and she knows when somebody is getting smart with her mama and I don't need her thinking I kept you from coming. That kind of stuff creates vendettas."

"I swear to you I wasn't trying to be funny. Don't try to check me like I'm trying to intentionally hurt your feelings or something."

"Yeah okay." I turned heading up my stairs. "Oh you can show your way out. Make sure you lock the door."

"Jayda. You're being too sensitive. I didn't even realize you'd take it to heart." He shouted before smacking his lips and I heard the front door shut. I let out a sigh of relief.

Truth is I only did that because instead of me being excited to see Sylvester, I was feeling sad from leaving Cato today. I just couldn't smile in Sylvester's face while I'm thinking about another man. I didn't want that feeling tonight, not at all.

It was the next morning and Justyce and I were dressed up in matching tracksuits and eating breakfast. She wanted to come to the restaurant with me so I said why not?

"You ready boo?"

"Yes mommy. Don't forget to turn off the lights."

"Thank you baby." Sometimes I'd forget to turn off the electricity before leaving the house. I've been so busy lately and she has to remind me. I'm getting old.

On the way there I recognized my restaurant number calling me. I answered.

"Hello?"

"Erm yeah Ms. Jayda there's a full house today, well one party, but they're making it a full house actually," Fatima chuckled nervously. "Erm, the host of the party is asking for you. And I've honestly got to say he looks like money. I'm talking big bucks boss and I suggest that you get down here."

"How much money are we talking Fatima?" I raised a brow completely in tune with the words money and big bucks.

"More than you, respectfully."

"I'm around the corner." I hung up.

Money money money moneyy. Money! I hummed the song while tapping on the steering wheel creating the beat.

Entering the doors of my restaurant Justyce ran towards the counter where liquor is served and got right to chatting with Manley, our bartender slash head of beverages.

"Jayda!" Oh God is he stalking me now?

Passing by my customers I smiled forcefully trying to relieve my nerves that just scattered all over my body. Why is your heart beating so fast Jayda?

"Catora Sullivan, what are you doing here?" I whispered harshly with my eyes wide as saucers while sitting my purse on top of the table next to his arm.

"Well the last time I was here you told me not to come back unless I'm putting money into your cash register and well," he gestured to himself. "You know I have plenty of money to spare".

"Thank you for your generous offer now, why do you need me again?" I smiled heavily.

"You know why I need you." He grabbed my wrist, licking his lips. Nervously chuckling I pulled my hand back causing his to drop while he just smiled and bit his bottom lip. Get it together Jayda.

"Damn don't even see us right here all she see is that bum ass nigga," a familiar voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Shut the fuck yo you jealous ass nigga," Cato spoke loudly and harshly at CantGetRight who sat with a toothpick in his mouth.

"William, it's nice to finally see you again." I acknowledged his devious presence.

"Hell yeah. Nice seeing you too sis."

"Still aggressive I see." I added.

"You fucking know it."

"Wassup Jayda." An African accent escaped MadMan's lips. His face was still hardened like I remembered, but he was handsome nevertheless. Not that I'd ever go after MadMan, I actually think he's not attracted to people. I think he's asexual. It's a little weird to me, but hey to each its own.

"MadMan hi." I went over Cato to give him a hug. He was genuinely a nice guy though, he didn't speak much, but he always made sure Cato was treating me right and if I needed him to off anyone for some odd reason. I cleared my throat standing up quickly to rid Cato's hand that magically appeared on my rear end, not before smacking his hand away.

"Cato don't tell me you fucking with her again?" A voice spoke and the body the voice belonged to plopped down in one of my chairs.

"Hari. Not much of a pleasure seeing you again." I rolled my eyes.

"Same here."

"But he didn't invite me sweetie. This is my restaurant. That's my food you're eating. My chair you're sitting in and my table you're leaning your ashy elbows on so if you're going to try to disrespect me in my own shit I suggest you get up and leave because I'm sure you'd want that instead of being thrown out of a window." I got down on her ass before she could even start. She just rolled her eyes and tapped away on her phone.

"You know you're extra sexy when you get mad. I remember when you got mad at me a lot. I did it on purpose."

"I hope y'all enjoying yourselves. See you around." I turned sharply on my heels not before my hand was grabbed by my daughters.

"Mommy can I eat with Cato?"

"Uh I don't think so. I thought you wanted to come in the office with me and watch Halloween specials?"

"I don't wanna no more. I wanna go over there. Please?" She held her hands together tightly leaning her face on the back of her hand while batting those eyes at me. God those eyes. Sometimes they get to me and sometimes they don't. They got to me today.

"Hi Cato!"

"Heyy baby girl," Cato lifted her up and into his lap, but she got down.

"Mommy told me not to sit in a man's lap." I winked at her. That's my girl.

"I'm your daddy, you can sit on my lap if you want to."

"Cato." I cut my eyes at him.

"Ain't that right Jayda baby?" He nodded at me to say yes. I blushed at the nickname. His eyes seeped into mine practically telling me what to say. My mouth was open, confused as to what to say, but old memories hit me from left to right. Once upon a time he took care of her. He's the closest she'll ever get to a father.

"Y-Yeah. That's your daddy." I began to fumble with my fingers, a habit I've formed when I'm nervous. She smiled before hopping on his lap and snuggling into him."Just bring her to my office when you're about to leave Catora. You know where I am. He makes me sick." I mumbled.

"Tell that to your four eyed bodyguard too before I have to smack his ass." he referred to my older waiter Donald. He almost quit because of Catora's mouth. I rolled my eyes at his violent behavior before stomping up the stairs. Ughh.

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Things are about to get real hectic starting with the next chapter. Just a heads up😬 I won't be warning y'all like this often btw so savor this.

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